1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus which is represented by a scanner and an image reading system which is configured by a plurality of image reading units via a connector.
2. Related Art
In the related art, image reading apparatuses which read a surface of a medium, so-called scanners, include so-called sheetfed scanners which transport a medium along a transport path and read at least one surface of the medium in an image reading section which is provided in the apparatus, and so-called flatbed scanners in which a medium is mounted so as to adhere to a medium mounting surface so as to read a medium surface which faces the medium mounting surface.
The sheetfed scanners are generally configured so as to be able to set a plurality of sheet media and are able to read a large number of sheet media by separating the plurality of set sheet media one at a time to be sequentially transported along a transport path.
On the other hand, the flatbed scanners read images from media mounted on a medium mounting surface and thus are able to read comparatively thick media such as books or magazines.
Among the users who use these scanners, there are also users demanding both of the two usages of reading a large number of sheet media and of reading comparatively thick media. In response to the demands of these users, there is an image reading apparatus which is provided with both a sheetfed scanner and a flatbed scanner (refer to JP-A-2008-312043).
The image reading apparatus is configured by integrally assembling a flatbed-type image reading mechanism (a flatbed scanner) and an automatic paper feeding-type reading mechanism (a sheetfed scanner). In the image reading apparatus, the flatbed-type image reading mechanism is arranged on the apparatus front side of the automatic paper feeding-type reading mechanism.
A flatbed-type image reading mechanism is provided so as to be freely opened and closed with respect to a platen for mounting a document and is provided with a document cover which is formed with a flat shape. The document cover is able to rotate with a supporting point provided at an end section on the automatic paper feeding-type reading mechanism side as a rotating supporting point and is configured such that the document cover covers a region in which the platen is provided in a state of being closed with respect to the platen. Then, when the document cover is set to an opened state from the state of being closed with respect to the platen, the platen is exposed by rotating the document cover from the front surface side in the apparatus depth direction to the rear surface side, that is, toward the automatic paper feeding-type reading mechanism side, and it is possible to set a medium thereon.
In addition, a paper discharging opening is provided on a front surface of the automatic paper feeding-type reading mechanism. Then, the sheet media which are transported along a transport path which is provided in the automatic paper feeding-type reading mechanism are discharged from the paper discharging opening to the front side in the apparatus depth direction. At this time, by setting the document cover to be in a state of being closed with respect to the platen, it is possible to stack the sheet media which are discharged from the paper discharging opening on an upper surface of the document cover. That is, the document cover of the flatbed-type image reading mechanism also functions as a stacker for the sheet media which are discharged from the automatic paper feeding-type reading mechanism.
Here, the platen and the document cover in the flatbed-type image reading mechanism are arranged further to the apparatus front side than the paper discharging opening in an apparatus depth direction, that is, in the image reading apparatus according to JP-A-2008-312043, the automatic paper feeding-type reading mechanism (a sheetfed scanner) and the flatbed-type image reading mechanism (a flatbed scanner) are merely arranged in order in the apparatus depth direction, and the image reading apparatus is increased in size.
In addition, in the image reading apparatus, since the flatbed-type image reading mechanism and the automatic paper feeding-type reading mechanism are integrally assembled and unable to be separated, transportation of the apparatus is difficult and the transportability is deteriorated due to the increase in the weight of the image reading apparatus.
In addition, in the image reading apparatus, in a case where a malfunction occurs in the flatbed-type image reading mechanism or the automatic paper feeding-type reading mechanism, it is not possible to remove and replace the malfunctioning reading mechanism from the image reading apparatus and when the image reading apparatus is sent for repair in order to repair the malfunctioning reading mechanism, it is also not possible to use the reading mechanism which does not have a malfunction during this time and the user is inconvenienced.